My invention relates generally to portable containers and particularly to one for the storage and convenient transport of clothes hangers.
Persons utilizing self-service and home laundries have a need to carry a quantity of clothes hangers to the laundry site for the hanging of freshly laundered garments. Present day wash and wear fabrics require that a garment be transferred immediately from a dryer to a clothes hanger to prevent wrinkling. Accordingly, a need exists for the orderly transport to and from laundry sites of a number of hangers which are inherently awkward to carry by reason of their tendency to tangle. As the user is usually encumbered with laundry and washing supplies, the task of carrying a quantity of clothes hangers is additionally burdensome. A hanger storage problem exist both at a residence as well as the time the hangers are at the laundry site. Without a specially designed container loose hangers readily become tangled.
The prior art discloses collapsible carton members and knock-down racking boxes for use by retail clothing establishments and for shipping of hangers to an end use point. U S. Pat. Nos. 3,115,968 and 3,987,898 are of interest in that they disclose knock-down boxes open at their upper ends with a front wall defined slot to receive hanger necks. Both are specifically designed to be shipped flat and assembled on site. Neither are practical, nor generally available to the public for use in the home. In addition, neither carrier is specifically designed to be carried by a strap; but is instead outfitted with a handhold by means of an opening in the back wall of each container. A planer walled container of rectangular configuration such as both of the above boxes, if equipped with a carrying strap would collapse when partially filled. The loss in structural integrity created by the opening in the front wall of the carrier would require a major innovation. My application of the principles outlined in the Detailed Description, the Description of the Drawings, and Claims would result in a carrier that would be functional, practical, lend itself to economical mass production methods, and be readily available to the general public.
Also of interest is prior art in U.S. Pat. No. 240,151 which discloses a shoulder carried soft satchel wherein a shoulder strap extents and is attached to the satchel proper at the bottom with upright segments of the strap being held in place by loops f secured to the sides of the satchel. It further relies upon a waist belt to provide additional strength to support weight within the satchel.
My invention employs the use of straps which are not attached to the carrier or dependent upon loops to be held in place. It employs a stiffening channel on both side walls to confine the strap and prevent lateral displacement. This innovation, combined with unitary construction, allows a more equal distribution of the weight of the contents to be spread throughout the surface of the carrying strap where it comes in contact with the carrier. Unlike the prior art, no waist belts are required to support the weight within the carrier.